Lowe's buys 22.9 acres on SR 200 for $5.7 million

BY RICK CUNDIFFSTAR-BANNER

Published: Saturday, September 15, 2007 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, September 15, 2007 at 1:51 a.m.

OCALA - It looks like the State Road 200 corridor will soon gain a home improvement center.
Lowe's Home Centers bought 22.9 acres adjacent to On Top of the World Communities last week for $5.7 million, according to Marion County property records.
Lowe's spokeswoman Karen Cobb was unable to provide any information Friday about the land purchase.
The North Carolina-based retailer bought the property, located on the north side of SR 200, from Midway 200 Commercial Properties LLC.
Midway 200 sold only a portion of an approximately 41.5-acre parcel to Lowe's. Brian Boyd, listed in state corporate records as a manager in Midway 200, said Friday he wasn't certain what plans his company has for the remaining acreage. Boyd referred questions to Joe Krim of Boyd Development Corp. Krim could not be reached for comment.
The store would be the third Lowe's in Marion County, joining the original store at 3535 S.W. 36th Ave. and the newer store at 4600 E. Silver Springs Blvd. that opened in 2004.
The size of the new site is comparable to that of the Silver Springs Boulevard store, which sits on 18.9 acres.
If Lowe's builds the store it will be a continuation in the ongoing development of the corridor area, which has seen explosive growth in recent years. Less than a decade ago, much of the land between County Road 484 and I-75 was still dedicated to horse farms.
But as the local population has grown, businesses have moved in at an increasing pace, especially since the roadway was expanded to six lanes from I-75 to CR 484 in recent years. A Lowe's store would be the corridor's second "big box" facility, joining the Wal-Mart Supercenter that opened near County Road 484 nearly three years ago.Rick Cundiff may be reached at rick.cundiff@starbanner.com or at 352-867-4130.

OCALA - It looks like the State Road 200 corridor will soon gain a home improvement center.<BR>
Lowe's Home Centers bought 22.9 acres adjacent to On Top of the World Communities last week for $5.7 million, according to Marion County property records.<BR>
Lowe's spokeswoman Karen Cobb was unable to provide any information Friday about the land purchase.<BR>
The North Carolina-based retailer bought the property, located on the north side of SR 200, from Midway 200 Commercial Properties LLC.<BR>
Midway 200 sold only a portion of an approximately 41.5-acre parcel to Lowe's. Brian Boyd, listed in state corporate records as a manager in Midway 200, said Friday he wasn't certain what plans his company has for the remaining acreage. Boyd referred questions to Joe Krim of Boyd Development Corp. Krim could not be reached for comment.<BR>
The store would be the third Lowe's in Marion County, joining the original store at 3535 S.W. 36th Ave. and the newer store at 4600 E. Silver Springs Blvd. that opened in 2004.<BR>
The size of the new site is comparable to that of the Silver Springs Boulevard store, which sits on 18.9 acres.<BR>
If Lowe's builds the store it will be a continuation in the ongoing development of the corridor area, which has seen explosive growth in recent years. Less than a decade ago, much of the land between County Road 484 and I-75 was still dedicated to horse farms.<BR>
But as the local population has grown, businesses have moved in at an increasing pace, especially since the roadway was expanded to six lanes from I-75 to CR 484 in recent years. A Lowe's store would be the corridor's second "big box" facility, joining the Wal-Mart Supercenter that opened near County Road 484 nearly three years ago.<BR>
<i>Rick Cundiff may be reached at rick.cundiff@starbanner.com or at 352-867-4130.</i><BR>